General News
16 November, 2023
Residents pay their respects
RSL Camperdown sub-branch marked two significant anniversaries at this year’s Remembrance Day service. THE streets of Camperdown fell silent on Saturday as residents took pause to remember the sacrifice of servicemen and women for Remembrance Day...
RSL Camperdown sub-branch marked two significant anniversaries at this year’s Remembrance Day service.
THE streets of Camperdown fell silent on Saturday as residents took pause to remember the sacrifice of servicemen and women for Remembrance Day.
A ceremony was held at the Soldiers Memorial from 10.30am, with people flowing to the area to pay their respects.
Camperdown College junior campus students Oliver Horspole and Isla Spokes read the poems ‘Poppies for Remembrance’ and ‘Lest We Forget’ respectively.
Attendees paused at the 11th hour, as is the tradition on the 11th day on the 11th month, as a sign of respect for those that had fallen in conflict and peacekeeping operations.
Wreathes were laid at the foot of the memorial by various groups, including Corangamite Shire Council, Victoria Police, and the three schools located in Camperdown.
Returned and Services League (RSL) Camperdown sub-branch president Kevin Murray read out information about the service of members of the Boyd family, who had family members serve in both World Wars.
“For starters, they lost family members in both wars, World War I and World War II, and in World War II they had those four names in a row,” he said.
“I just happened to know that they were all cousins; because of my father, I knew about the Boyd family, so I sort of knew the backgrounds o I could identify them.
“I couldn’t do the same at short notice for any of the other names that appear more than once, but it is my intention to look at them in the future, and perhaps Anzac Day and Remembrance Day in the future, we might be able to touch on some of those other families.
“There are other families just as deserving, I’m sure, once we’ve researched their backgrounds.”
Names of those that had died in service at war were read out, with the deceased ranging from the Boer War to the Vietnam War.
This year marked two significant anniversaries for the RSL; 2023 marks 50 years since the end of Australia’s involvement in the Vietnam War, as well as 70 years since the end of the Korean War.
Mr Murray spoke about both wars during the service, saying the Vietnam War was particularly significant due to how unpopular it was.
“From the public’s point of view; at first, they supported Australia’s involvement in Vietnam fully, but as the years went on, that really soured,” he said.
“When the number of deaths started to get reported, and of course it was the first time that Australians actually brought their dead back to Australia; they didn’t bury them in the battlefield, they actually brought them home.
“I think that created a level of reality that people didn’t want to accept; they turned against the war, and as a consequence the Vietnam veterans weren’t treated as well as they could have been when they came home.
“They were the visible face of the war, and that’s why they got blamed for it, whereas it wasn’t their fault; they were doing their duty, and they did it particularly well. It was significant that, in 1973, Australia completely go uninvolved in that conflict.”
Mr Murray said the Korean War was often referred to as the Forgotten War.
“No-one really covers the Korean War much; World War II was so significant, and Vietnam was significant for different reasons, and in between you had Korea, and everyone sort of forgot about it,” she said.
“Seventeen-thousand Australians risked their lives in that particular conflict and they deserve to be remembered.”
Poppies were laid at the foot of the memorial at the conclusion of the ceremony, with refreshments offered at the RSL club on Pike Street, Camperdown.
Mr Murray said Remembrance Day is an important day for veterans, regardless of whether they returned or lost their lives.
“All of us at one point or another, that have been on active service, when we went on active service, we were writing a check for the balance of our lives because we didn’t know whether we were going to come home or not,” he said.
“But, most veterans I know, that’s what they’re trained to do, that’s what they want to do; that’s the risk they’re willing to take.”
A service was also held in Lismore to commemorate Remembrance Day.
Lest We Forget.
